


One Last Time

by anonym_onous_free



Series: Endgame: After [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Fix-It, Gen, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Endgame Fix-It, You know who isn’t you know what
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 05:45:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18632032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonym_onous_free/pseuds/anonym_onous_free
Summary: PLS don’t let this spoil the movie Endgame for you.  Scroll past quickly if you don’t want to see spoilers. I’m trying to make this summary vague so it’s not a clear spoiler, but you may infer stuff that happens in the movie so just don’t read this.HHHGGGGGGGSpoilers!!!The universe is generous and repays Tony Stark, giving him the ending he deserves with his family.





	One Last Time

**Author's Note:**

> Tony Stark meets with a fate and comes back to life. His reunion with Pepper and Crew

“You can rest now.” 

The soft words filled Tony up and his heart clenched. They didn’t deserve this, it was their happy ending, and now it was being torn away. His Pepper said it would be okay, maybe it would. But as he floated off, Pepper and Rhodey and Peter’s faces burned into his mind, he thought wistfully of a future where it was all right. Where they could finally be at peace. 

 

The next time Tony Stark opened his eyes, it was to a bright blue. The blue of an arc reactor, his mind whispered. A woman sat in front of him, knitting a gold scarf. Her face was aged and her eyes held a wisdom Tony yearned for.

He slowly regained consciousness and his mind became less foggy. He remembered the snap, he remember the pain, he remembered drifting off to thinking he wouldn’t wake again. But that was on Earth, and now he was here. In this timeless zone that was endless. Was this the afterlife?

The woman smiled and his attention was drawn back to her. “Anthony.” Her voice was motherly, remind Tony of a time long ago and an Italian woman named Maria. 

“You have come so far. Your life has been tested, and yet your thread has not snapped.” She gazed at the scarf she knit. “Many obstacles that would have meant death of a lesser being were conquered by you. You strive for greatness, for others before yourself.”

The scarf shown bright and within the thread Tony saw parts of his life, highlighted. The cave from Afghanistan, the old palladium arc reactor. Three graves from his past. She continued, “Tore down by guilt you built yourself higher and took consequences in stride. Where the universe stole from you, you created.”

A wrenched cry tore from Tony as he saw the Siberian bunker, replaced with his new family of Peter, and then of Morgan and Pepper, Rhodey and Happy. 

“In the end, the universe demanded a price and you gave it, sacrificing yourself for a world that never fully appreciated you.” The woman’s tone grew sad, dark. “What you deserve was never given. Your life thread was cut and the world benefited from it unfairly.”

“What does this mean?” Tony rasped. “I know what I’ve done. Whatever it takes. So why am I here?”

Her eyes glowed. “I have power, Anthony. I weave life threads and create stories. I cannot control death, but I can manipulate it.”

“I’d come back to life?” The question resonated inside him. He could return to the ending he wanted. 

“Yes. There would be effects, a time ripple as your soul returns, but I could. The stones have given me the option, given me the chance to repay you.” 

“You don’t have a debt towards me.” He stared curiously. “I destroyed Thanos, I didn’t do anything for you.”

“That is not true. In returning the dead you created balance again. The scale had tipped with the snap and in a couple of years the universe would have fallen with the weight. Now with the dead returned planets have life again and the scale is evened.” She smiled. “But that does not matter. You wish to return?”

“Well, yeah. I do.” Tony said, still not quite understanding. “But I want to know, if I come back to life, will it change things for the worse?”

A soft laugh came from her. “No. It will be hard. But it is just my price to pay for righting a wrong.”

Tony opened his mouth, but no words came out. His throat clenched and he forced a smile. “Thanks. For letting me come back. One last time.” He choked out, before blue light took over.

——————

Pepper Potts looked once at her reflection in the mirror before wiping under her eyes and grabbing Morgan’s hand. This was it, she steeled herself. If anything she didn’t think he could pull off this last one. 

Rhodey put a hand on her shoulder and locked eyes with her, tears gathering in his eyes. He nodded and together they moved to the door. She, Rhodey, Happy, and Morgan, all dressed in black. Pepper squeezed Morgan’s hand and took Rhodey's with her other hand. Happy held Morgan’s hand as well and they opened the door. Outside there was a small gathering, full of heroes but no press, no one other than those who fought with him.

Pepper made eye contact with a lone teenage boy and Harley bobbed his head at her, stepping up to kiss her cheek. He swallowed and stepped back, letting them continue. They passed the Wakanda royal family, the space guardians, the Pyms and Scott and Sam, Bucky, and Wanda. It was a blur to Pepper, and Morgan gazed about not really understanding. There was the Barton family, and Nebula, and Doctor Strange with Wong. Bruce and Steve stood at the front and nodded to Pepper as she stepped on the dock.

At the end lay a wreath of flowers with the original arc reactor, and Pepper stopped, Rhodey and Happy pausing too. She bowed her head but didn’t bother regaining her composure. She continued on with Morgan and crouched down, picking up the flowers with a teary smile on her face. Morgan’s lip wobbled and Pepper picked up the wreath to place it in the water when she hesitated. Something churned in her gut and she looked down reassuringly at Morgan. 

Maybe, maybe, she prayed. Please please please, just pull of this one last surprise.

“I think this is better than a parade, you know.” A voice sounded from behind them. Everyone froze.

Pepper turned, her eyes misty at his familiar tone. Everyone gathered spun around and there he was. Perched on the balcony with a bag of cheeseburgers. His words were lighthearted, but his face was teary. 

“Hey Pep.” 

“Hey.” She forced out, her eyes wide with shock.

“I’m never letting you job hunt again.” The quip came out in the form of a sob, and it broke Pepper out of her trance. She ran towards him as his suit retreated into his arc reactor and he stepped down and caught her in his arms. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, crushing him towards her. Her delicate hand moved over the arc reactor and a warm feeling thrummed within her as she saw the blue light emerging from it. 

Rhodey ran over with Happy and Morgan. Peter following dazed. Tony looked down at his daughter and smiled, crying. 

“Mommy said you weren’t coming home.” Morgan grinned.   
“Yeah, well it’s not everyday I get to prove Mommy wrong.” Tony laughed. “How could I not come home to someone who loves me three thousand?”

Pepper let loose a sob and pulled Morgan up, clenching Tony and their daughter close. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”

“I guess even a body means no guarantee with you, Tones.” Rhodey chuckled wetly before dragging Happy over and joining the families hug.

“At this point I don’t think you can die.” Happy commented before looking to the bag Tony was carrying. 

“Are those cheeseburgers?” He exclaimed incredulously. 

An impish grin spread across Tony’s face. “Maybe I am nostalgic.”

Pepper drew back suddenly and slapped him. Hard. “That’s not funny!”


End file.
